Social Development Deputy Minister Ganief Henricks has told the portfolio committee on Social Development the scourge of substance and drug abuse is a challenge not only for South Africa, but globally.
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Addressing the portfolio committee on Wednesday, the Deputy Minister highlighted the consequences of drug abuse on South African society.
The Deputy Minister led a team from the Department of Social Development and the Central Drug Authority in tabling the 2023/2024 Central Drug Authority Annual Report before the committee.
Ahead of presenting the report, Deputy Minister Hendricks noted that according to the South African Society of Psychiatrists one out of every five adults abuse mind-altering substances.
“According to the South African Society of Psychiatrists, almost 20% of South Africans – one out of every five adults – abuse mind-altering substances, with alcohol, painkillers (codeine) and dagga the worst offenders,” the Deputy Minister said.
He added that the rising figures of illicit drug use suggested that the country was losing the war on drugs.
Alcohol abuse
Meanwhile, South Africans spent R7.7 billion on alcohol between the week of 25 December 2024 to 1 January 2025.
“The annual cost to the country of alcohol abuse alone, in terms of absenteeism, lost productivity, health and welfare costs, and alcohol-related crime is estimated at up to 10% of the gross domestic product, or as much as R37.9 billion annually, according to a 2014 study in the South African Medical Journal.
“You can imagine how much it costs the country, especially its causal relations to gender-based violence and femicide, and all the social ills,” Hendricks said.
Turning to the 2023/2024 annual report from the Central Drug Authority, the Deputy Minister told the committee that the report highlighted some of the continued and sustained milestones during the sixth administration, particularly in terms of the investments made by national departments, public entities, provinces, the provincial substance abuse forums, and local drug action committees in people, through their various interventions to address and counter the drug problem in the country.
The Deputy Minister noted that South Africa, like other countries, was adversely affected by substance use and substance use disorders; alcohol being the most widely used psychoactive substance in the country.
“I am pleased to state that Cabinet has approved the Prevention and Treatment for Substance Use Disorder Policy,” he said.
‘Emerging trends’
He explained that the policy sought to introduce gamechangers in curbing the scourge of substance abuse in the country and would enable the sector to review current outdated legislation and address emerging trends.
Another critical milestone was that the department had initiated a process to establish an interministerial committee to address the scourge of substance abuse.
The Central Drug Authority presentation focused primarily on the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan 2019-2024 by key stakeholders, thus reducing the supply, demand and harm caused by substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking which, the Deputy Minister said, “are directly affecting the poor, vulnerable and other key populations in our communities”.
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